Gagan hogs limelight on camel back

It was a different 'battle field' for India's ace hockey forward Gagan Ajit Singh as he opted for a camel back instead of a hockey stick to manoeuvre his way through a strong cattle line-up.

The hockey player, who is in Pushkar, Rajasthan, to attend the 10-day Pushkar Mela on the invitation of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation, rode a camel to visit various pandals and cattle markets in the fair on Wednesday evening, with the large festival crowd cheering him all the way.

The Junior World Cup-winning captain, who also belongs to a peasant family, and his wife Aaina also attended a few functions organised as a part of the fair.

Pushkar Mela is the world's biggest cattle fair, organized every year by the RTDC.

"I always wanted to visit Rajasthan during the Pushkar fair. The magnitude and the panache of the event undoubtedly attracts me like lakhs of others," Gagan told reporters.

"I am thankful to RTDC for inviting me to be a part of the rich heritage."